Abandoned Subaru Dealership

According to Cars Addiction, this showroom was the only Subaru dealer on the whole island until a competitor set up shop in the late 1990s. The newest poster on the walls shows an Impreza WRC rally car from the early 2000s, which suggests the other dealer running this place out of business not long after its arrival. Though the dealership is now abandoned, its showroom is still full of cars that were put on display nearly 20 years ago.

If you look closely you can spot a 30+ year old 2-door coupe  Subaru XT (Alcyone /Vortex) can be spotted which is virtually brand new still with its delivery tag still on the window. By the looks of it its a right hand drive (RHD) 1987 Subaru XT Turbo 4wd model, with the 1.8-litre flat four EA82T engine. In its day this was a dream car for many with its futuristic wedge shape styling, digital gadgetry, a cool feature with the entire cluster moving with the steering wheel and the awesome active air suspension that will lower the car when cruising highways. These angular, all-wheel-drive sporty coupes are hard to find on the road nowadays. Other vehicles inside include a few first-generation Imprezas, a Justy, a Sambar cargo van, and a small kei-class utility truck.

After sitting for a decade or more, any rubber hoses or gaskets are likely in need of replacement. Plus, the dried puddles under some of the cars offer further evidence that a new owner would need to them a thorough mechanical check. Still, getting ahold of one or all of these mint Subarus could make for quite an automotive adventure.

This raises the question why these cars are still in the showroom. The XT Turbo may have been a showpiece to get people in the door. But the dealer wouldn’t likely have hung onto relatively basic trims of the Impreza for years, especially in the face of stiff competition from an upstart dealer.